Thread: Trump isn't going quiet on Russia. He's getting louder.

Trump isn't going quiet on Russia. He's getting louder.

CNN
Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 9:17 AM ET, Fri August 4, 2017

(CNN)There was a line of thinking in Washington this week that President Donald Trump might scale back his rhetoric on the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russia, the result of a new White House chief of staff in John Kelly and a reshuffled legal team.

INCORRECT!

In a campaign-style rally in West Virginia on Thursday night, Trump not only leaned into his previous attacks on the Russia investigation but took them even a step farther.

He referred to the "totally made-up Russia story." He called it a "total fabrication." He insisted Democrats are behind the whole thing because they are looking for "an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of American politics." He argued that "what the prosecutors should be looking at are Hillary Clinton's 33,000 deleted emails." He made the totally specious argument that no Russians were in the crowd to suggest he couldn't have won the election because of Russia. He mocked Democrats' electoral results, telling them "try winning at the voter booth."

And then, Trump said this:

"They can't beat us at the voting booths, so they're trying to cheat you out of the future and the future that you want. They're trying to cheat you out of the leadership you want with a fake story that is demeaning to all of us, and most importantly, demeaning to our country and demeaning to our Constitution."

That's important. Especially this line: "They're trying to cheat you out of the future and the future that you want."

There's a lot going on in that sentence so let's unpack it a bit.

First, "they." Trump is ostensibly referring to Democrats hdere. But, he means it in a wider sense too. "They" are the media, the establishment, the intellectuals -- all the people who tell people in Trump's crowd (and in his America) they don't matter.
Second, the idea that "they" are "trying to cheat you out of the future and the future you want." Two of the most powerful sentiments in life (and in politics) are hope and grievance. And Trump is tapping into both of them.

He alone understands the hopes and dreams of the audience, he suggests. But, those hopes and dreams are being cheated away from them by people who mock them, scorn them and focus on all the wrong things -- like Russia.

Logically, the argument doesn't make much sense. How is the federal probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election robbing people in West Virginia of their hopes and dreams, exactly?

But Trump has never been a politician whose fundamental appeal is logical. He is a "heart" politician, someone uniquely able to make people feel something , which affects how they think about their world. And, this line of argument -- "They" = bad, you = good, 'They' are focused on Russia, which = bad for you" -- works for people who already likely believe that people in big cities or reporters or the practitioners of politics as usual are scheming against them.

Step back and what's clear is that no one -- not Kelly, not Trump lawyer Ty Cobb, not anyone -- is going to convince the president to lay off the Russia rhetoric. He believes it -- in his bones. This is a hoax investigation being run by people out to get him and abetted by a media that hates him.

Rather than staying quieter as the special counsel investigation gets more serious, Trump seems likely to head in the other direction -- growing increasingly outspoken about the problems he sees with it.

Through any conventional lens, this is a terrible strategy that leaves Trump open to political and legal peril. But, this is Trump. He steers into dangerous waters rather than taking the safe course. It got him to the White House. But can it keep him there?

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/04/politi...sia/index.html

It's the perfect strategy, plus it's also the right thing to do!! This is the federal government, acting badly, conducting a Witch Hunt, looking for crimes to investigate, something no law enforcement agency has the right to do. You need a probable cause for a warrant, to seize, to subpoena, you need a valid reason for an investigation which starts with a crime, and there is no valid reason, because there is no crime, not one shred of evidence of any crimes or wrong-doing by anyone involved in the Trump Campaign.

Most people can see that it is a witch hunt. If it was a real investigation it would include both candidates. When they focus is on one side (Trump's campaign) and don't even mention Hillary or the democrats in the investigation we will never know the actual truth. There were two candidates in this election. If they are going to investigate, investigate the whole election. They cannot pick and choose who to investigate. The American public will never believe it was a unbiased investigation.

Plus because they haven't found any collusion or crimes relating to the election and campaign, now they're running off the rails into looking for other unrelated crimes. This is illegal. This needs to be shut down. These types of unwarranted no cause, no reason investigations beyond any scope of law or appointment as a Special Counsel need to be stopped in the United States. We have ample known crimes to investigate, solve and prosecute. Because this is politically motivated, it makes it even more unacceptable and I think illegal. You have to have some crime or reasonable suspicion or probable cause to investigate someone. This protects the rights of those being wrongfully investigated as well as the taxpayers forced to fund these Witch Hunts.

(((((Logically, the argument doesn't make much sense. How is the federal probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election robbing people in West Virginia of their hopes and dreams, exactly?)))))

It absolutely makes perfect sense and it is the truth. Of course, that's something that seems to be almost unrecognizable for far too many people in power.

The same way it is robbing all of us.

It is taking time, effort, and resources that should be used to repair the damage done by the last 3 administrations.

It is keeping the government busy and giving some weak-kneed lawmakers an excuse not to do what they were elected to do.

It is also, perhaps, keeping this country from forming some kind of alliance to stop the insanity and carnage in Syria.

It is keeping the focus off all the illegal voting, the selling - literally - of our government during Hillary Clinton's reign in government under Obama.

To say nothing of Obama's giving the country away to anyone who wants to come and live off us - and his wild spending that may very well be our undoing.

They are trying to focus on Russia and giving the miscreants time to shred, burn,destroy evidence - perhaps to liquidate and move their assets offshore (just in case).